Different Reflections
by Little Strawberry RiRin Chan
Summary: The day Kiyoshi-kun came back to Seirin was supposed to be a happy one. They've got their founder, another of their mental pillars, back. At least, that was what Riko was thinking-until she came back to the gym, only to hear Kuroko-kun's screams. How will both coach and player cope with a problem that has never been heard off, especially after their loss to Touo? Genderbent!Kuroko
1. Flipped

**Since this plot bunny isn't getting out of my head, I decided to write another story. So yeah, don't kill me, explanations are at the end of the chapter, and I hope you'll like it. Warning though. For those who don't like Shonen Ai (mild Boy's love) (is that the spelling?) This isn't for you. And as you all know, Kuroko no Basket has introduced 4 girls out of all those boys out there. And that's 100+ chapters already. Well, it's not really Shonen Ai (read to find out why) and with the plot in my ind, I don't even know what to categorize it with. **

* * *

**Chapter 1: Flipped**

"Let's talk about stuff that doesn't have to do anything with Basketball!" The brunette coach shouted to the far distance, the rest of the Seirin team sweatdropping behind her. "Coach?" Hyuuga ventured, the captain looking at the rest of his teammates, who only looked back with a mix of resigned, curious, and indifferent faces. They we're eating dinner at Maji burger, and night was fast approaching.

Everything was normal.

"Oh come on! Everything we do is about basketball! Let's do something else!" The rowdy group got quiet. They don't really talk about anything else besides basketball… "Where's Kuroko?" Izuki, their PG, asked. He looked at every corner to see if their teammate was hiding (or maybe they just didn't notice him, as per usual).

Silence descended on their table. Automatically, they looked at Kagami, who had a pile of Maji Burgers on his tray. It wasn't strange, really. Both he and Kuroko were inseparable, and one usually knew where the other went.

"I don't know." The redhead said gruffly, swallowing a burger rather noisily.

Immediately, the silence turned uncomfortable. They had forgotten. After the match with Too, Kuroko and Kagami stopped... stopped being the shadow and light duo. Like there was a wall between them, and it was very obvious that Kagami didn't want to break the wall, but fortify it, with him asking for the pass specialist not to pass to him anymore just a while ago in their practice. Kiyoshi had arrived and practiced with them that afternoon, and with all the excitement, they have forgotten about that wall.

"Ah. I forgot my book bag in the gym." Aida Riko stood up. "You don't have to accompany me, Junpei." She told the bespectacled man beside her, who also made to stand up. "I'll be back before it gets too dark. Besides, I can call my dad to fetch me in the gym if I take too long."

It was an unspoken agreement between the players that one person must stay with Riko until she arrives home, or when it's already too dark. Usually it's Hyuuga, but Kiyoshi and has done that too, before he had to go to the hospital for rehabilitation.

"Relax guys." The players still look uncomfortable. The coach sighed. "Fine. If it will make you better, I'll talk to one of you by phone until I get back. Is that okay?" Hyuuga turned to Izuki, who nodded. "Sure, Coach."

Riko smiled. "Okay."

She stood up and went outside the restaurant. Turning back to her teammates through the see-through glass, she held up her phone, and dialled Junpei's number.

_Ring…Ring…._

She turned and made her way back towards the school.

"Junpei." She can hear the other people talking through the phone. Kagami was shouting a lot of useless stuff, and she could hear Koganei laughing in the back ground.

"_Coach. Hurry up, okay. I don't want Kagetora-san murdering me."_

"Calm down. Why are all so nervous now? I just was out of your sight for 30 seconds!"

"_You're our coach. You're also our responsibility." _She could imagine him ticking off his fingers as he told her his reasons. "_And as I said, it's our life on the line if something happens to you." _

"It's weird for you guys to suddenly turn protective now."

_"Being cautious is good."_

"Right." She rolled her eyes. "By the way, have you told them about our new training place?"

"_Ah, not yet. Wait."_ It was about 30 minutes later thatshe arrived at the school gate, which was still opened. It was easy to get to the gym, with all the shortcuts she knew. She could hear Hyuuga still discussing the summer training they have planned. Kagami wished that the generation of Miracles were just a bunch of girls so that they wouldn't go through Riko's deadly training regimen. She had to laugh at that as the other players started making wishes against the Generation of Miracles to escape Riko's training (_and cooking. _She needs to remember to have a talk with them _later.) _ His phone was on speaker, and everyone could hear her when she said that she had arrived at the gym.

_"You walk so slowly, Coach." _Kagami said, his voice static-y and muffled. She could imagine him stuffing his face with a huge amount of burgers.

"Shut up, Bakagami." She opened the door to the gym, which was surprisingly not locked. It was already five thirty (or so) in the afternoon. Why isn't the door locked?

The moment she entered the facility, she knew something was wrong. A cage of orange balls was in the middle of the court, and it was over turned, more or less a dozen balls scattered everywhere.

"_Coach?"_

_"Hey, coach! Is Kuroko there?" _That was Kiyoshi. His voice was bright and sparkly, even on the phone. The brown haired girl didn't answer his question. There was a white and blue towel on the floor. Some one used to be there. What happened? She was getting a really _really _bad feeling on this.

"Guys."

She was answered with silence.

"_Coach, what's wrong?" _Izuki asked. "I don't know… Kiyoshi—Kuroko's not here."

_CRASH!_

_"Coach! What was that?!" _The crash had Riko flinching. She almost dropped her phone.

_"_I don't know! That sound… I think it was from the boy's locker room! Look, I saw the cage of balls we use in the middle of the court, and it's over turned. There's… there's a white and blue towel here too."

"_That's Kuroko's!" _ The moment Kagami said that, Riko was running towards the locker room. She could also hear some sort of tapping from her phone. The boys, they must be running to where she is now.

_Thump!_

She didn't know why, but she stopped right in front of the door. "_Coach!" _The captain's voice was ringing in her ears. "_What's happened?"_

"Shh." She strained her ears, and then she heard it.

"_… … Oow….Ah….Agh…. Uhmp!" _There was another loud banging sound, and a loud exclaim of pain reached her ears. It sounded just like… She opened the door.

* * *

The rest of the players were running at their top speed towards the School Gym. They could here loud crashes from Riko's mobile.

"Coach!—what's happened?"The whole team could hear Riko's frantic breathing as she ran through the halls.

_"Shh." _ Her voice commanded, and every one of them held their breaths and muffled their footsteps. Even Kagami, notorious for his loud footwork, managed to silence himself. "_… … oow…. Uhmp!" _It was faint, as if they we're hearing it through something besides the phone.There was another _Bang! _ And then—

"_KU-KUROKO!" _

The phone went dead.

* * *

"KUROKO!" Riko could feel her whole body trembling and she had trouble focusing on the sole occupant of the room besides herself. Kuroko was on the floor, curled into a ball on his left side. He's breathing was harsh, even worse from after a whole day of her rigorous training. She rushed to his side immediately. There was something different about him, but she didn't know what, and she was panicking. It unsettled her that she didn't know the cause of his pain.

"Kuroko…" She couldn't see his face. Strands of his teal hair were everywhere, covering his whole face, neck and touching his shoulders. "Kuroko—tell me, wha—where… where does it hurt? Are you bleeding? Did you hit yourself on something? Muscle pain? _What_?" She shifted him so he was facing the ceiling. One huge blue eye looked at her. His normally blank face was contorted in pain, and the eye that was gazing on her was full of fear.

"_Haa…Every—AGH—where…Kkkktch…" _ He rolled to his side again, and she saw him press his arms against his stomach. His hair curtained his face again—

Hair?

That was only when she realized the difference. Kuroko's hair _shouldn't be_ as long as his shoulders. In fact… it barely reached the back of his neck. When she realized this, she pushed Kuroko into a sitting position, leaning his back on the bench. He slumped forward, but she straightened his back, looking for more differences. Kuroko looked at her, eyes half closed in pain.

"_KkkCcoach….pp…plea…se…." _ Riko looked up at him. "_M…ma..ke it stop….I-it hurts…." _

That was when she saw. It was like the final puzzle piece finally fell into place. "_What… _What—is this...? This—this _is impossible!" _Kuroko only slumped further, his breathing more laboured. He looked like he was having a hard time wrapping his head around it all, too. "_P—please…don't—"_

Her phone rang.

As quick as she could, she got it, and then pressed answer, standing up. "_Coach! What happened to Kuroko?" _It was Kagami. His voice was loud, and she could hear them running. "He's…he's…"

"_We're at the gate—calm down, Coach._ _We'll get there." _Izuki panted to her.

"Kuroko—he's—"A hand touched hers, and then her mobile was sent flying away, lying innocently against the far lockers. The beeping of her phone told Riko that the call was cut off. She turned to the other occupant of the room, who gazed at her with his clear pale eyes, like he has done so many times before.

In front of her, he struggled into standing.

"Don…'t….tell…" He leaned on her, and her suspicions were confirmed as she felt his body come into contact with hers. "H-hh-ide... " She opened her mouth to argue, but Kuroko looked at her straight in the eye. "Pl—ease….C..coach."

She gazed at him for a moment, and then wacked his head gently. "Alright. We _will talk _about this later, Kuroko." She didn't know if what she was doing was right, but Kuroko rarely asked for favours. He rarely sought out his own benefits, instead thinking for the team. It was the least she could do for him.

"Come on—to my locker room." There were no girls in the basketball team in Seirin even though the club allows girls to play. It just that girls usually like watching, not playing, so there were no girl players, even in the other teams from other schools, who have mixed basketball clubs too. That was the reason why Riko had a locker room all to herself. She dragged Kuroko there, with him heavily leaning on her, panting and shuddering. "I…I can't… stand…." He muttered amidst his heavy breathing. Riko thought about it. "I think I know why… But let's go first—The others are almost here!"

Once they were inside, she struggled to do something about the situation. _What is she going to do?! _ This never happened before! In fact, she was quite sure that this should not have been possible. "Kuroko." She turned towards him, and was surprised to see him being able to hold his ground, though he teetered on all directions. "Is the pain gone?" the boy shook his head a bit. "…Demo…it's de—creasing…C-coach." His voice shook with pain. His forehead was beaded with sweat, and his shoulder length hair plastered to his neck. He was sweating, yet he held both of his arms and shuddered, as if he was cold. The brunette fetched a spare jacket she had, and handed some to the boy, who took them shakily.

He looked much much paler. Riko was worried he might be sick. She put a hand on his forehead, and her eyebrows came together. "You're burning up." Kuroko only blinked, and took a deep breath. Riko took a scarf from her locker and handed it to Kuroko. "The boys will be here soon. I will lead them off. Then I'll be back, okay?"

Kuroko stared at her with his large cerulean eyes, and bobbed his head.

She put both of her hands in his shoulders. "_Then… _Then… we _will talk about _this." She couldn't hide the slight shaking of her fingers, and she was sure Kuroko could feel them. It was something about herself that Riko hated. If she couldn't get an outlet of her intense emotions, her body starts to shake up. She forced herself to calm down. Taking a glance at the other teen, she realized that he must be doing the panicking enough for both of them. It would be better if he calmed down too.

Right. So she should not panic.

Fetching her book bag from the locker, she went back to the boy's locker room to fetch her phone. It lied innocently against the lockers, and she wondered why it didn't break, despite being flung against the lockers and dropping to the floor.

_Ah, the power of Nokia phones. _

Just as she was putting the cellphone to the pocket of her skirt, the door flung open. "Coach!" Hyuuga was the first to enter, soon followed by Kiyoshi, Kagami, and the rest. "Where's Kuroko?" Kagami said, looking around.

"Ah, it's okay now. Don't worry." Hyuuga looked at her incredulously. "What do you mean?" She didn't know what to say. Oh God. She hadn't really thought of an excuse. _How could she be so stupid! _Heart pounding, she opened her mouth.

"Turns out Kuroko-kun have called a relative of his before we arrived. I helped him get into the car. He, I even dropped my phone from panic." The first years made a sigh of relief, but the others—the seniors, particularly, were sceptic. "Did you find out what was wrong with him?" Kagami suddenly spoke up, and it touched Riko that he seemed so worried even if there was the wall between both of them. It felt wrong when both of them didn't talk.

"Coach?"

She realized that he was probably waiting for an answer and it was taking her too long to answer. "Ah—" Another lie. But what could she say? She's not the best liar in the world, either, and most of the people know her too well.

"He had a dizzy spell after over practicing." She winced inwardly. She was trying to not make them worry, but if Kagami's expression was any indication, she probably made it look like they ran all the way here for nothing.

And she was right.

"That bastard." Kagami's split eyebrows drew together as he turned away. "We came here all the way running for a guy who only had a dizzy spell?"

"Kagami." Hyuuga was feeling a bit odd at this. There's something weird about what was going on. And now, he had a feeling that their tall freshman was just about to throw one of his tantrums.

Instead, the redhead sighed. "I'm sorry…sir." He scratched the back of his head, saying "Kuroko is just _so _weak, he annoys me." And with that, he disappeared from Riko's sight, out of the room. It was for the better, actually, because she knew Kuroko heard what Kagami said, since he wasn't even bothering lowering his voice.

"Easy." Someone put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at Kiyoshi, who smiled gently at her. "He's probably just worried sick. We all are, actually. But since everything is okay now, we should probably go home." The first years muttered their agreements, as did Koganei and Mitobe. ("_I forgot—Ireshi-sensei gave us a _ton _of homework!" _Mitobe nodded mutely beside him.) "Alright then. Izuki, Hyuuga and I will accompany coach home, then."

As the others bid their farewell, Riko suddenly felt a sinking feeling on the pit of her stomach, and she knew that this is the last place she wants to be in. The three people left were the three that knew her best. If anyone could guess her fib, it was them.

"Okay." Kiyoshi leaned into one of the lockers, and all three of them looked at him. "Coach—spill." Izuki and Hyuuga turned to her, though their faces were filled with confusion. _Maybe Kiyoshi was tricking them again? _

Meanwhile, Riko could feel sweat run down her spine. _What am I going to do now? _"What are you talking about?" She opened the locker nearest to the door, taking out a lotion and spreading them on her hands. She didn't want them to see her expression.

Like she said, she's far from being the best liar in the world.

"Kuroko doesn't have his phone with him." Her hands froze. "_What?" _ She could feel gazes on her back.

"Like I said—Kuroko doesn't have his phone. I have it." She turned, and sure enough, Kiyoshi was holding up a simple light blue mobile. "I forgot to bring mine, so I borrowed it from him a while ago to call home and I forgot to return it." If the situation was different, she would have laughed at the forgots in his sentence.

"Oh." Hyuuga was staring at her, as was Izuki. "I guess it's up then." She sighed, and returned the lotion to its proper place. Closing the locker door, she leaned sideways on it.

"So?" Hyuuga prodded, the other two's expressions mirroring his inquiring one.

"About that… " The brunette coach shifted her feet. "Bye."

And without further adieu, she…_ran away. _It was so unlike her (or maybe it's a side of her we haven't seen yet—Izuki pointed out) that it took them about 30 seconds to realize that they're just giving Riko a good headstart.

She doesn't run that fast compared to them, but she wasn't a member of the track team in her middle school for nothing. She also had a wide knowledge of shortcuts up her sleeves, and that proved to be their disadvantage when they arrived back at Maji burger, Riko nowhere in sight.

The coach wasn't near that vicinity, though.

The brunette winced as she felt wires digging on her arms. She was just outside the school, struggling on going through the hole of the fence. She couldn't go back to the entrance, because the boys might be waiting for her. Brushing a few leaves from her hair, she walked up to the gym. The hole in the fence was a secret told to her by one of the girls in her class after she lent her her notes. The girl used it to go to the popular tea house near the school, because it was so popular that the shop was already packed with students if she used to main entrance, which was a long way from the shop (Their gym is at the other end of the school from the main gate).

Clever girl.

"Kuroko?" She opened the door, and the he was still there, in the same spot, though his trembling wasn't noticeable now. She put a hand against his forehead. His temperature has come a little bit down, though she wasn't sure if that was because of all the sweating he just went through or because he's more relaxed now. (She read somewhere that a person could get sick with stress.)

"I just called my father. He's going to pick us up in… ten minutes. Is the pain gone?" He looked up at her, and drew the jacket around him tighter.

"…Almost." His voice was steady. She took it as a good sign. "Okay. So while we're here…"

Kuroko looked up at her, his face back to his blank expression. Riko sighed. In her life, she never dreamed of saying this to one of the team members. She hasn't even ever given a thought about it. This is just too bizarre, and she was still having trouble wrapping her head around it. But she was certain Kuroko wasn't like this before. Hair just doesn't grow that fast. _Those things _just doesn't appear on anyone's body. So now… why?

"Can you explain—if you know why—how is it that…" She licked her lips, and she had a vague feeling that Kuroko didn't know anything about this either. He was certainly panicking about it just half an hour ago. But she had to voice it out loud, because if this was a dream, she might not wake up unless she just blurts it out.

"Just a while ago, I saw you change. And I'm sure with what I saw." Her statement sounded perverted, but she didn't care. They have more pressing matters. This was certainly a _very_ pressing one.

"Why is it… that in this room…there are two girls?"

* * *

**I'm sorry! I know I'm taking too many stories now, but I just can't take this out of my head! I swear, I will die If I don't get to publish this! This won't go in the rotation of my updates, though. So nothing to worry about, because I will still update the other stories as soon as I can- but school is starting so I think I'm going to be scarce again. Life sucks. Anyway, I hope you like it!**


	2. Forever?

**Hey! I updated this because I'm inspired! Though the next update might not be soon, depend son when I can update the next story in my rotation. Hehe. So, I hope you'll like this chapter! Anyway, read on! And I'm doing the cover art for this, so i hope you'll like it!**

**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Forever?**

"Why is it… that in this room…there are two girls?" Kuroko looked up at her, his gaze resigned, and even though it looked like his usual blank face, it was up to her guess on what he was feeling, as the person was rather hard to read.

Somehow, something about Kuroko's gaze gave her the feeling that he was disturbed a great deal with her question.

"Kuroko-kun…" She suddenly felt bad for bringing that up right there. "Coach… Sumimasen." He said, turning his head away, blue locks swishing with the motion. "I do not have answers to your question…" She nodded. It was another possibility she thought of. There's no way Kuroko could have somehow done this to himself, right?

"I am sorry for not being able to help." He stood and bowed in front of her. It was a bow so low that it seemed like he was apologizing for something else.

Like their defeat to Touo, perhaps.

"Is this about the match…?" Kuroko straightened up, and slowly sat down. She noticed that he seemed to have difficulty moving. His actions were jerky, and even the way he sat seemed to exhaust him. He fixed a long stare at her, and she realized that the girl in front of her looked a bit different from Kuroko. This person had ridiculously long eyelashes. She had shoulder length hair, the same shade as Kuroko's, and was very wavy at the ends. She had two locks of hair that curled upwards, and her bangs were a bit longer than Kuroko's. She also noticed that her eyes we're bigger than his, though they were the same shade as he had, though she wasn't as sure, because it wasn't really her job description to figure the exact shade of her players' eyes.

But… besides that—this girl in front of her practically radiated _innocence. _

"…Hai." Kuroko bowed his head, hiding his eyes from her.

"It isn't—"

"I failed against Aomine-kun." One hand rose up to cover the half of his face, half of his hand disappearing under his sky blue fringe. She didn't know how to react. Kuroko never had shown this much emotion before. His voice was in its normal monotone, but … she didn't know how to put it into words how... helpless he looked.

"You didn't." She found herself saying. "You simply weren't strong enough _yet." _She leaned forward, and took Kuroko's hand away from his face. "And we need to figure _this _out. So that you start training and become stronger." She bonked his head with her fist. "Don't worry. _I _will _personally _make sure that you are going to improve _a lot._ Okay?"

Kuroko shuddered faintly, and she resisted the urge to bonk his head with something more painful, like her heavy book bag.

"Okay. Let's get you home." She stood up, Kuroko following shakily. She held on his arm to support him.

"…Arigato." She nodded in return to him, opening the door. "Can you walk?" He nodded slowly, and put a foot forward. It held. "…Please don't let go, Coach." She nodded. The simple walking through that hallway seemed to be tough work to Kuroko. Many time his knees tended to bend, like they can't hold up his weight. His feet bended to the left or right at certain times. In her mind, the coach bit her lip. Kuroko was slightly leaning on her already. How can he walk properly if she wasn't holding on to him?

As they opened the door out of the gym, Riko turning a bit to lock the door, she noticed that her father wasn't there yet. Seeing a bench near the front of the gym, she led Kuroko there and sat. "…Coach." He mumbled, and she was surprised, because his voice had a higher pitch to it.

Kuroko seemed to notice, too. He cupped his throat. "It's gone…" he said in his high pitched voice. The brunette took it to meaning that he was referring to his adam's apple.

"Do you… think that there's still more things changing?" If it wasn't for the slight turning down of the tight line of Kuroko's mouth, she would have thought that it didn't bother him. "I don't know."

It was that moment that the situation finally sank on both. _I still can't wrap my head around this…How did Kuroko turn into a girl? _"…Coach. You don't think… that I will be like this forever." He said, and Riko thought of the horrible possibility. "I… don't think so. Maybe…." She put her head in both hands. Honestly, it can go that way. She just didn't want to say something that bad to Kuroko. "I don't know what's happening anymore. I'm sorry, Kuroko-kun." He nodded, and after a while, hid his face in the hood of her jacket. She didn't know what to do to comfort him. If she turned into a boy out of nowhere… she would probably die of shock. But alas, she didn't turn into a boy. She could only guess whatever the other person was feeling.

And even if she was guessing… it was probably a very bad feeling for him.

The silence between them stretched out for a while, before Kuroko started shivering. "Put on the scarf." She suggested, and he did, looking a lot more like the Kuroko she knew once his hair was tucked into the scarf. If you looked at him like this, the jacket hiding the changes in his body, the scarf hiding his hair, Kuroko looked like the normal Kuroko who surprised everyone once more by appearing out of nowhere.

_BEEP! _There was a flash of lights in their direction, a rumble that broke through the silence, and a van appeared in front of them. "_My lovely daughter—" _Aida Kagetora climbed out of the driver's side, eyes zeroing on Riko at once. She rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, dad." She sighed fondly at her dad who immediately sulked in the corner as she pushed Kuroko into the vehicle, her hand discreetly on his arm, in case he wobbled. Thankfully, aside from the usual shaking, his knees didn't bend, nor did his feet twisted. Once he sat down, he leaned against the chair, eyes blinking blearily.

She used her special eyes on him, and wasn't surprised to see that he was absolutely exhausted. Even without his ordeal, Kuroko had a weak body that didn't budge even with her training. His stamina stayed low, and it was always a mystery to her why. A day with her x3 training menu plus with his extra training practice after… he must be ready to keel over now. And that wasn't even with this… problem.

The door of the driver's side opened, and her father climbed in. "Is he sick?" He tipped his head into Kuroko's direction, who only stared back at him. "Yes. We'll drop him at his house because he felt too unwell to go home alone after the training."

"Hmm. I see." His father didn't ask more questions, which was a sigh of relief to her. God knew how her father can be annoying and loud when it concerned her. Not that she didn't like the attention, but too much of something is very bad.

With a few directions from Kuroko, it wasn't long before the van pulled up into a medium sized apartment, where he and Riko got out. "Dad—I'll just get him inside." She called out, and saw the nod of her father. Putting a casual hand on his arm, she was glad that the wobbling of his legs went unnoticed by her father. Kuroko seemed surprised, too.

"It's getting easier." He whispered blankly to her, looking down at his feet. "Walking?" She opened the door to the apartment. It was surprisingly well furnished. She thought that Kuroko's home would have nothing besides the necessities, and a hundred or so books, maybe a basketball, based on his personality. "…Hai."

She made him sit down the couch. "I will have to go, or my dad will get suspicious. I'll come visit you with lunch tomorrow, okay? And you better sleep early. Rest. Do you have any medicine for fevers?" She sighed, content when the other person gave an affirmative to her question. "You should take one after you eat dinner. _Eat dinner, _okay?" Kuroko nodded at her again. "I will be fine, Coach. Arigato." He murmured, and she stood up. "Rest well."

A soft "…Good Night." was the last thing she heard before she closed his front door.

* * *

When Kuroko woke up in the morning, it was due to his dog licking his face. It was amusing, because he usually wake up before Nigou, but his body felt heavy and hot—he didn't want to ever rise up from his bed again.

The licks on his face weren't stopping, though.

"_Nigou. Stop." _He mumbled. "_Arf!" _Something climbed on his head. He was sure it was Nigou, because he could hear it panting as it seemed to ruffle his hair—in his own way. "_Arf!"_

Blearily, he sat up, Nigou slipping from his head to his lap. "_Arf!" _

"Ohayou." He ruffled the dog's fur, and slipped away from bed and made his way towards the bathroom. Nigou, tail wagging happily, followed him. He had stumbled towards the mirror before he caught sight of his reflection and promptly fell over as he made a shaky step.

"_Arf!" _ Beside his head, Nigou wagged his tail at him. He sighed and rose up again, clutching the sink for support. Come to think of it, how was he able to walk from his room to the bathroom without falling over?

Oh well.

The person who stared back at him wasn't… well…him. It was a girl. Her hair was a huge mess, and he found comfort that it was as muddled as it would be if he was still a boy. _Some things about me just won't change._

This was actually the first time he would see himself, like this.

Despite the horror that bloomed inside of him once he realized—_I'm a girl—_he thought that at least the person looking at him right now with a blank expression on her face looked a lot like him. In fact, they looked so alike, they could pass as twins. He was still as pale as before. His eyes we're still the same color. Not to mention his hair.

That was when he noticed to two noticeable bumps on his torso.

Turning his back on the offensive mirror, he stumbled back to his room, hands on the walls so he won't fall. Nigou had settled on his basket, and was playing with a small orange ball.

Once he reached his destination—the closet—he rummaged around until he saw a thick undershirt, a plain black shirt, and a white checkered polo.

_There. _That should hide those… things. Maybe until he could ask Riko how to address the problem. Or maybe until he returns to normal.

He started walking outside towards the kitchen before he realized that he should probably try to get used to walking. It was still early, anyway, 5:30 in the morning. So that was how he spent the first two hours of his morning. Walking around the house, Nigou running in circles around him, and him doing the basic chores. By 7:15, he can walk slowly without the support of any wall for an indefinite time. He wasn't sure on how fast he can walk though. Running was still unattainable for the moment. His arm movements we're as easy to manipulate as normal after a few disastrous events.

Meanwhile, the house was sparkling clean; Nigou had been fed, and was running around the house, looking agitated. Kuroko knew what he wanted; a walk outside, but he wasn't really sure if that was a good idea. He had eaten breakfast and taken medicine for the heaviness he was feeling, and soon his temperature dropped to normal and he felt well.

Looking at the clock, he sighed and gave in to Nigou's request. He really had a weakness for animals… besides, he could pass by the basketball court and try if he can use his ignite pass in his present body.

Getting Nigou's basket—in case he gets tired (he was rather energetic today)—he put one of his spare basketballs inside and put the black leash on Nigou, who barked happily and licked his hand. "Let's go." Despite what he thought earlier, Nigou with him didn't make it harder to try to regain muscle control. The dog pulled him a few times, but Kuroko didn't fall. He took it as a good sign.

Many times, Kuroko tried to run, but every time he did, his body would plummet forward or backwards, and he was getting frustrated. It didn't show in his blank face, though. If anything, the only sign was his slightly narrowed eyes.

It was 9:37 on his watch when he decided to head home, going through the nearby basketball court on the way.

Nigou was walking calmly beside him, all the pent-up energy already been let out. He looked satisfied. Kuroko wondered if he changed in Nigou's eyes, because the dog acted normally around him. He had thought that Nigou wouldn't recognize him, and he was glad that the dog did.

Looking on his hands, he thought about his question to the coach yesterday. _When will he get back to his normal body? _

_Will he ever go back to being a boy?_ Was it…forever?

There were lots of questions that were going unanswered. He didn't know why this happened, nor did he know when everything will go back to normal. The only thing he was sure of was that this cannot be explained by science. Or anything Midorima-kun could come up with.

Therefore, the only explanation would be magic, unless he was an alien. Or something that goes by those lines. His theory seemed ridiculous (As Midorima-kun would say) but he can't come up with anything else.

"_Arf!" _

Nigou's excited bark attracted his attention, and he realized that they were at the basketball court already—or the right term would rather be in _the vicinity_. There was a sound of a ball dribbling coming from it, and Kuroko couldn't say he wasn't curious. It was too early, and many people liked to sleep in, especially on slow Saturdays like this.

As soon as he caught sight of the full court, he stopped walking, yet Nigou continued on, excited to see him.

Kagami.

He didn't notice Kuroko or Nigou, as he was busy by himself. He was dribbling at ball, faking to the left and making a right crossover then dunking the ball into the hoop. It seemed like he was playing by another person, not just by himself.

At Nigou's excited bark, Kagami jumped and was near the far post in a flash. "_Wh-wh—Where is your _owner you bastard dog?" He nearly yelled to the world, hugging the post for dear life, eyes searching the vicinity, obviously looking for Kuroko.

He didn't see him. Not even as a girl.

Nigou walked up near to the red-headed giant. Kagami yelped and moved away. "Go back to your owner, dammit!" He yelled when Nigou continued going near him. They chased each other around the court, and even when Kuroko sat down on the sidewalk, Kagami never noticed him. It was what happened normally, and for some reason, it didn't amuse Kuroko, unlike before.

Nigou was obviously having fun, yipping happily as he ran circles around the red-head, the other yelling numerous obscenities at the husky. All of a sudden, Kagami stopped a few meters away from the dog, a strange look on his face.

"Did you run away from Kuroko?" The sudden serious voice of Kagami stunned him. He was just yelling seconds ago. Nigou just wagged his tail at the other, who sighed. "You should get back, you know. You're going to make that bastard worry." Kagami looked at the basketball in his hands. "Go back to him now, dog. _And do it fast. _Please." He glared at the dog, holding the basketball up as if Nigou was an opponent who would steal the orange ball from him.

Kuroko stood up.

He walked away, knowing that Nigou could get back home when he wants to, and he's free to spend some time with Kagami, anyway. It's good to see them at least having a decent time with each other (new record: 20 seconds) before Kagami gets back to his dog fearing phobia of sorts. The boy-turned-girl didn't know what to feel now that he has seen his light again. They have been so cold to each other the last time they met. Kagami's voice, saying that Kuroko's weakness annoys him was still fresh in his mind.

This time, there was another voice saying it with him.

_You haven't changed, Tetsu. You disappoint me. You're still as weak as before. With that, you think you can beat me? Nobody can. The only person who can beat me, is me._

It was like déjà vu.

* * *

It was exactly 10 o'clock when he arrived back at his house. Once he opened the door, though, he didn't expect what he saw.

Or what collided to his face.

The thing plopped to the ground, and his gaze followed it. His face hurt a bit, and he was wondering what thing could possibly hurt that much besides Coach's whiteboard.

A chopping board.

He blinked.

"_Ku…ro…ko…"_ An ominous voice reached his ear, and he looked up to see his coach holding a knife in hand, red substance—blood?—on the borrowed apron she was holding.

"Hello." He bowed to her in greeting, before something—this time it was a small bag—hit his head. "WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING I TOLD YOU TO STAY PUT YOU STUPID PERSON AND WHY ARE YOU SWEATING LIKE CRAZY—"

"It's hot."

"—AND HOW CAN IT BE SO HOT WHEN IT'S STILL MORNING—"

"I'm wearing three layers of clothing, coach."

"AND YOU ARE A SICK PERSON WHO SHOULD JUST STAY HOME YOU IDIOT! WHAT IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED, HUH? HUH?" He just stayed silent and let the furious girl rant her head off, flailing the bloodied knife like a murderer.

It was about ten minutes later when the girl calmed down. "Okay. I'm preparing lunch. You can go sit by the couch."

He complied with her request, then thought about it. He had been told stories... "Coach?"

"Hm?"

"Can I help cook?"

"Eh? I'm perfectly capabl—"

"I insist." The brunette sighed and let him after the assurance that he felt fine and he was just out for a walk. Besides, they could finish faster working together, right?

The sounds of chopping filled the silent air around. Kuroko wasn't really a talkative person, and Riko was concentrating on… whatever she was making to make conversation.

Half an hour later, she looked over to what Kuroko was doing. It was soup, too, and the aroma was delicious. She looked over to her dish.

Slimy, smoking, and green.

She had meant for it to be porridge, because someone had told her that it was good for sick people, but… normally she would make the others still eat it… but what if Kuroko get's poisoned? She sighed and looked at the bandages on her hand. She had practiced yesterday…

_Glomp._

The soup filled spoon she was holding didn't have any soup anymore. She turned to look at Kuroko, who was chewing something.

Chewing? But she didn't put anything solid yet!

"It's slightly salty." Kuroko said before swaying dangerously. Her soup was probably dangerous to his health, yet his face was still in its normal stoic expression. "WHY DID YOU EAT IT IDIOT?" She shouted to his face as she put a hand out to steady him. He batted an eyelid.

"Coach made it." The simple sentence made her quiet. Kuroko slid his gaze over to her.

The brunette made up her mind. At least there was a person willing to drink her poison food just to cheer her up. When this day ends, she need to know how to at least cook up a decent soup.

"Kuroko-kun…can you teach me how to make any soup?" he nodded. "I can only cook egg dishes, though." Riko nodded. That was enough. "What is that?" She pointed at the sparkling bowl—in comparison to her smoking dish. "Egg soup."

About two hours later, Riko had scraped at pretty good-looking egg soup. As she held a hand over the bowl, Kuroko put a hand on her shoulder.

"Coach." She looked at him. "Hmm?"

"Vitamins and protein tablets shouldn't be put into food like this." He stated bluntly, eyes zeroing on the amount of tablets she was holding. "Eh?"

He just nodded, still sweating like crazy. She thought if it was because of the small explosions they had encountered. "Kuroko-kun—why don't you at least remove a layer. Isn't it too hot? I know it's good to lower your fever, but it won't make you better if you spontaneously combust." The stoic boy just shook his head.

"Coach." He ignored her question and plopped on the couch, eyes fixed at no point in particular. He looked like he had just an epiphany.. "I have a feeling…that I won't turn back into a boy for a long time."

Riko almost dropped the knife she was holding. She was just washing the dishes—with Kuroko's approval of course, it was his kitchen—and it shocked her that Kuroko would say something like that.

"Why do you say so?" He shoulder rose up and down-a shrug. "Dream." Riko didn't know what he meant, but she was about to say that dreams weren't reliable, but she figured something odd. "Kuroko-kun…have you been having dreams about this?" It can certainly be an explanation as to why Kuroko's eyes looked so sure. He nodded. "I just remembered now."

"What?"

"The same dream. Always the same. I forget every time I wake up, but now I remember." He took a strand of his long hair in between his fingers, face still not showing much of any emotion. "I've been dreaming the same thing this past week."

"What was the dream about?" Riko removed the apron she was using and moved towards the couch across Kuroko. "…I don't remember. But it said something about balance… '_It is give and take. A help given…a wish received. It isn't my fault the wish flipped you…and—'_" Kuroko trailed off.

"And?"

"…I… cannot recall." Riko's eyes narrowed. "So… this dream… it also told you that you won't turn back for a long time?" Kuroko nodded. "I have to do something… But it isn't clear what _it _is." She nodded. "Then… what about the winter cup? How can you play basketball?"

Silence engulfed them. It seemed like she voiced a secret taboo. She glanced warily at Kuroko, anxious for his response.

Kuroko's expression didn't change. His eyes remained blank. "…I want to play." He finally said, with a voice so determined that Riko thought he was thinking that she wouldn't allow him.

Still, she didn't expect that answer. "Even if I have to train from early morning to midnight to regain limb control, I will." The other added, still in his determined (high-pitched) voice.

"Even as a girl?"

"... Hai." Riko thought about it. Kuroko-kun has amazed her more than many times for his dedication for basketball, despite his limitations. Besides, they still have 2 months before the prelims… and another one month before the winter cup. Could they make it? Could Kuroko master his limbs and improve his basketball before the preliminaries?

She sighed. If it's Kuroko-kun, yes. She believes they can do it. "Well, it's a good thing we play in a mixed basketball tournament." Kuroko-kun only nodded, and it amazed her that he knew. Seirin High and other basketball teams they have known and watched never had any female players. Some girls did try out for Seirin team, though she held it in another building, because... well, she needs to check their physical stats, doesn't she? And it just so happened that the boys outshone the girls. Kuroko-kun is really amazing her for being observant. Was the locker room she had for herself a clue? Even the some of the second years apart from Hyuuga, Kiyoshi, and Izuki probably don't know about the club being a mixed one. The thought made her want to sigh.

"Alright. I was going to tell you this later, but Seirin will have training in a beach we'll leave on Monday. I already have an ideal training for you to make limb and muscle control faster. You're coming with us as a girl. Okay?"

Kuroko blinked. "…I don't want them to see… me yet."

"What?" Kuroko only looked up at her. "I can disguise myself as another person. When the others and I…as a girl, meet… I want it to be at school." Well… they could make arrangements for that. "As for the school part... Of course, you have to be a student to join the basketball club."

Kuroko stared at her. _What? He hadn't thought of that yet? _Riko wanted to fling her bag at him once again. For such an observant person, he sometimes act too much of an air head.

"My dad has connections. He can pull a few strings for this. Would it be okay with you if I tell him about this?" Riko asked tentatively. She wasn't sure If Kuroko-kun would agree, because telling other people about this problem seem… hard.

He just nodded. Ah~ all for the sake of basketball. Such basketball idiots she has... At least Seirin won't loose their sixth man.

"Okay. Seems like Seirin will just have to earn another student even at this time of the year, huh?"

She didn't know what changed, whether it was a slight tilting up of the corners of his mouth, or maybe his eyes had an amused glint—she wasn't sure, but when she looked at the big picture, Kuroko was smiling. She had often called him cute when ever he smiled before, but he looked _sooo_ much cuter as a girl when he smiled.

She immediately glomped him, and even though the smile disappeared, to be a replaced by a tight frown before Kuroko opened his mouth—

"Please let go, coach." She didn't heed him. She just kept muttering "Kawaii kawaii _Kawaiiii!_" Until Kuroko had to pry her arms off him. "I can't breathe, coach."

Then she remembered. Kuroko used to be a boy. Turning into a girl suddenly… that doesn't mean he would also start acting as one. She sighed once again. Looks like there are more things she will have to teach Kuroko-kun yet, if he was to pull off being a girl properly.

But for now…

"Ne, Kuroko-kun. Are you well enough for another outing today? So—"That was when she understood why Kuroko was wearing three layers of clothing. He probably didn't want those _girl _things be outlined if he wore his normal thin clothes… clever boy. Or clever girl. It was starting to get confusing—referring Kuroko as a boy, even though he's physically a girl now. Or should she rather refer to him as a girl now? But he was still a boy, deep inside…

Okay, nevermind. These things could fry her brain, and that wouldn't be good.

"—So you don't have to wear a ridiculous amount of of clothing?" She continued her question, anxiously waiting if Kuroko would change his expression. Would he still look cute if he frowned?

He didn't. His face remained the same, and his eyes gazed confusedly at her. Riko grinned (ignoring the disappointment that she didn't see Kuroko's frown face as a girl. That must be cute!). She didn't have many girlfriends, and this is sure going to be fun. "We're going shopping!"

Kuroko won't know what hit him when she drags him into _those _stores…. She chuckled evilly, a wicked aura surrounding her.

Kuroko stood unaffected.

* * *

**So did you like it? I hope you did. Please review so that I can update sooner! If you want to see the female Kuroko I was thinking, please go to [[[ /art/Genderbent-Kuroko-371172113 ]]] Just remove the parenthesis and the spaces, and add deviant art . com in front. (No spaces!) I just drew that and put colors, so I don't know if you will like it. *Crosses fingers***

**Over and Out!**

**~Little Strawberryyyy**


	3. Hidden Truths

**Hello guys! I updated this! haha, It came first the the Harry Potter one, but I'll update it soon, I promise! So, I hope you'll like this chapter! Feedback please?**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Hidden Truths**

Trudging through the wooden halls with dead feet, Katsuko Teryou was about to collapse. Today was actually her second day of training with the basketball players of Seirin, and her body's stamina was _way _too low. She was getting really frustrated by it. Today she vomited for about two times… Yes, it was an improvement from yesterday, where the brunette coach of Seirin found her sleeping in the basketball court's random benches, but it was frustrating nonetheless. Since then she was banned from training until nine in the evening. 7 o'clock has passed, and that was her deadline…

Pushing aside the dark brown strands of hair that curtained her face, the stoic girl blinked her blue-green eyes. Right in front of her was the power forward of Seirin, Kagami Taiga. He was probably sweating a lot more than her—that was saying a lot—and his shirt was carelessly thrown aside on his shoulder. He stood scowling down at her, which was probably supposed to intimidate, but she was not affected. Instead, she bowed to him in greeting. "Konbanwa." He tipped his head in response as they crossed paths, grunting something about not being able to play basketball, and Katsuko almost smiled.

It was painful to be so close to them, though. She walked forward, stopping when the same gruff voice called.

"Oi." She turned, facing Kagami. "…Hai…Kagami-kun?" He seemed surprised. "What did you call me?"

"Kagami-kun…why?" He shook his head. "Nothing. Something… " Blinking at her, then suddenly frowning as if an unpleasant thought just appeared on his head. He turned away, not even looking back once. The pale girl watched him as he disappeared on the corner. Katsuko involuntarily opened her mouth and closed it, intending on saying the usual things she would say. Her hand rose up, reaching out to touch and call the attention of the redhead, but he moved away from her fingertips, farther and farther away, until he rounded the corner… gone.

The fringe of her dark hair covered her eyes as she recalled that this would be how things would go until the end of their beach camp. Avoiding the Seirin players, eating alone inside her and Riko-san's shared room, watching the players fret and worry over their missing teammate—Kuroko Tetsuya.

"Sumimasen…Kagami-kun." Her hand falling dead on her side, she turned, walking in the now cold and lonely hallway.

Riko was having a big problem. Hyuuga and his lackeys—at the living room, Kiyoshi and Izuki both sneezed—were surely trying to corner her. If they succeed in that, it could be dangerous. Nobody knew her more than these three, and her inability to lie so convincingly wasn't getting amusing as the situation demanded it more either. She's been getting more forgetful, too—who is too stupid to think that the winter cup is 3 months away? Prelims isn't for five months! The stressed coach put her head into a hand. Even so, she wanted to give Kuroko more time to improve his basketball, and they are nowhere near to even achieving his normal jog, based on her calculations. His arm control had been perfected already, and only a few more practices are needed to actually return his normal control of the ball—probably besides the Ignite pass or the Cyclone pass.

She put both of her palms on her closed eyelids, taking deep breaths. There's no need to be this stressed. She has almost 6 months before the winter cup. She and Kuroko-kun can do this.

"…_Riko-san." _Every single hair on her arms stood up, and if it wasn't for the talk it would make downstairs where the other players were, she would have screamed as loud as she can. Instead, she flung the thing beside her—which happened to be a pillow—at the owner of the voice, Katsuko. She easily deflected it with her arms, and they stood blinking at each other. After a few seconds, Riko had her fingers on the girl's head, pressing each finger down to her skull.

She pretended not to hear her wincing.

"..Ah…it hurts…Coa—" The brunette realized that the door was still open, and anyone could be near there room at this moment.

"_Riko-san." _The girl blinked, and then nodded, mouth setting into a thin line. "It is hard to get used to calling you like that…Riko-san." The brunette nodded. She was having a hard time too. Closing the sliding door, she turned back to the dark haired girl, who was now in front of the small dresser, removing the tight pins from her head. "I know. It's isn't easy for me to call you Katsuko too—"

The dark brown hair fell to the floor with a quiet thud, as the girl turned to her, now sporting her original teal hair.

"—Kuroko-kun." She—they've decided to address her as a girl until this girl problem is solved—popped the dark blue contacts out of her eyes. "Sumimasen, Riko-san." The coach only raised an eyebrow.

"Hm?" The girl only watched her as she went back to her desk, clicking her tongue as she looked at the training programs listed. "…I am making this harder for you."

"It's okay." She said, still distracted by the paper and her growing headache. It didn't matter much, anyway. If Kuroko wanted to not show herself as a girl yet, it's okay if she's happier. What had she said again…?

_I do not want them to see me like this. Not yet. But—I can't bear being away from them. _ The teal-haired girl had said this with such conviction that Riko didn't even bother to argue with her. Besides, it would be better than explaining why a certain teal-haired girl who looked exactly as Kuroko was going to train with them—not exactly _with _them, though. They barely saw Kuroko, who took great lengths just to avoid them. Riko could guess why. Despite wanting to see his teammates, it must have taken a lot of willpower and self-control not to play with them. Kuroko loves basketball, more so when others play it with her.

How could she bear to look at them, when all she can see is them playing the sport she loved, and not even get to touch a basketball and show them anything?

There was also a matter of Kagami-kun. It must be really hard for the teal haired girl not to talk to him. He was obviously anxious and worried for his partner—all the players were—but she could not assure him, not even give a hint about his teammate without exposing herself. The brunette coach glanced at the girl behind her, who was messing with the clothes on their shared closet.

Riko knew she shouldn't complain that she was having a hard time—stressing out and making schedules and everything for Kuroko-kun and the players—because here was a person who was experiencing harsher problems than her, and she hasn't even said a word about it once. So much has been put in those tiny shoulders. The talk they had yesterday… Kuroko felt like she was responsible to bring back the love his old teammates had for basketball, along with the trust for her. She only wanted them to feel the joy of holding that orange ball, dribbling and, and shooting once again—something that brought them all together.

That wasn't even counting the promise to Kagami, that he and Seirin would be the best in Japan.

Kuroko's face never changed as she told these to her, but Riko could almost see the sad smile the girl would have on her face if she only showed more expression.

Silence descended on them. One thought about the other, and the other was contemplating on everything that has happened until now.

"…Riko-san." She watched as the girl sat down on her own futon, tying up the wavy shoulder length hair. "…Will you play basketball with me?" The coach's face morphed in surprised and quiet descended in the room. Kuroko's gaze was blank, and Riko didn't know what to say. She didn't know what Kuroko wanted, asking to play basketball with her. Taking her silence as rejection, Kuroko looked down. "…I'm sorry for asking. I am going to take a bath now." Standing up, and turning away from the other girl, she started walking away.

"No—no wait!"

"Is something wrong, Kuro—" Riko immediately covered her mouth. Fortunately, no one was near, and she cursed herself for breaking the first rule: only say Kuroko's real name in soft voices and only when they are inside their room. "_Katsuko?"_

The other girl didn't seem to hear her, but she remained still, back turned towards the taller girl, leaving the latter to wonder what kind of expression the other was making. "…I cannot do this. I do not think I can do this by myself."

_What?_

"…Basketball is what brought us together. It is what made us what we are now…yet…" She cut off, and turned to Riko, who gasped. She had always pictured Kuroko-kun with a blank and impassive face. That Kuroko-kun stayed stoic and expressionless. He is unchanging, he never gives up, and you can always count on him. That was something everyone counted on and liked about him, deep inside. But now… this Kuroko was different. Her eyes were bright and wide, covered by the fringes of her hair. Those teal pools weren't trained on her, but on the wooden panels of the floor. This wasn't the face she remembered. Not the face that was obviously full of pain, and longing.

Everything is happening so suddenly. What happened? Did the meeting with Kagami-kun trigger this? Or was Kuroko actually having a hard time and she just didn't notice? She wanted to smack herself! Of course anyone would have trouble adjusting to this… thing!

"I am alone again." The tealette looked up. Riko's whole body had turned stone. She couldn't move. Not when Kuroko was looking at her like that.

Like she was watching something bad happen and happen again.

Her lower lip trembled, just a tiny vibration—something only Riko could see with her special eyes. "…Katsuko…" She stepped forward.

"I—"Time seemed to stand still. Riko watched, horrified, as a crystal-like drop of water fell from the corner of the girl's eye. She didn't even seem to notice it, staring straight at the taller girl. She had a painful, small smile on her face; her arms are limp on her sides.

She looked… dead.

"I… _am being left behind_…"

Shaking her head, that smile that hurt to see still plastered on, Kuroko opened her mouth, voice cracking.

_I cannot do this. I'm cut off. _

"I don't want it to happen again."

Riko stepped forward. One step… another… and she was right in front of Kuroko. Burying her head into the girl's neck. Gripping those small shoulders tight in her arms. They stood like that for a while—Kuroko, unmoving, her head leaning into Riko's shoulder, and the latter, stroking the other's hair, her eyes closed against the crook between Kuroko's neck and shoulder, her arms tighter and tighter around the teal haired girl.

She was wrong. It wasn't hard for Kuroko not to play and interact with his teammates, despite being so close to them. To not even be able to call out their name, even when she could just reach out… and touch them with her fingers.

Yet she couldn't.

_I want them to remember their love for basketball. _

Because they don't know her.

_I want them to remember what brought us together._

Because in their eyes...

_I want them to like being around each other again._

She was just a stranger.

_ I want to have silly moments like before._

Nothing more.

_I want them to trust me again._

As a girl, she could never be Kuroko Tetsuya. Not Kagami-kun's shadow, nor the Seirin players' teammate. As Katsuko Teryou, she was just a girl who had to train with them. But Katsuko teryou is just an anagram. She doesn't exist.

_I want them to trust me… again._

_But…how can they?_

_When I'm not even 'me'?_

_I thought we will always… always… stay together?_

And so Riko just hugged the limp girl, trying to soak up the confusion, the loneliness, the frustration, _everything_. She didn't know much about Kuroko's past with the Generation of Miracles and Teiko, so all she could do was comfort her. And help her. They **were** going to find the solution to this problem, and Kuroko won't be alone and left behind. She _won't _let _him_. Not now that in they're the only ones in this secret.

"…Riko-san." Riko tilted her head, but there were suddenly arms around her waist, preventing movement. "…Sumimasen. I did not mean to break down…" Riko smiled, even though Kuroko couldn't see it, as she was hiding her face in the brunette's shoulder. Instead, she patted the tealette's head. "Don't worry. You've been keeping a lot bottled up all this time. Let it out." Kuroko nodded her head. "…Please let me stay like this for a little while."

"Okay."

That night, when the girl named Kuroko Tetsuya fell asleep, she dreamt again. This time, it wasn't the usual dream she had been dreaming of since the past three days. Yet the memory of it was forgotten in the recesses of her mind once she awoke. She never remembered the words. She didn't recall.

Yet.

But it was a promise. A promise...whose meaning will soon… very soon… come to light.

_You aren't alone—Tetsuya Kuroko. _

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**So, what do you guys think? Are the characters too OOC? Aside from Kuroko, of course because, seriously, if I suddenly turned into a guy and was expected to spend time with the people I care about without telling any of them about me being the girl they were friends with, I will be pretty depressed. Not to mention Kuroko has a lot of problems, too. Remember, he and Kagami are having difficulties talking to each other because they just lost the Touo match. And... the talk with Hyuuga that made them make up in the manga and anime never happened because well, the problem happened. **

**So, rant over, and please review? Thanks in advanced?**

**Over and Outtt!**


	4. Why?

**Hello everyone! I updated! I really keep on getting inspiration for this story, so I might as well update it, ne~ I hope you'll like it! Sorry for any grammar mistakes, I suck at those, haha. =)) **

**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke. Like any fangirl, I wish to own Kuroko Tetsuya, though. =) DON'T KILL ME, OTHER FANGIRLS! Sharing is good!**

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**Chapter 4: Why?**

**_Previously~_**

_I'm alone. _

_I don't want to be left behind._

_I don't want it to happen once more. _

_Not again._

* * *

"_Time_…time out." A hunched brunette panted, resting her palms on her knees and tried to catch her breath. _I've been playing this every night for two weeks, and basketball is still tiring! Running tracks is easier! _ Riko Aida mentally thought, eyes straying over to the raven haired girl opposite her. Said girl was also sweating like her, but obviously not as tired. She tried to shoot multiple times over the duration of Riko trying to catch her breath, but not a single ball went in. Katsuko—the girl who was an anagram—threw the ball upwards and shifted into a stance that Riko—horrified—knew well.

Pushing her palm away from herself as soon as the ball was in position, Katsuko winced as the the orange ball touched her hand, Riko-san's shout of "_Hold on!" _not even registering to her ears. The impact to her hand was painful, but the ball flew away, hitting against the far wall of the gym, and she couldn't help but let out a miniscule smile. _It works…_

"Katsuko!" She looked back at coach, who had walked towards her, still huffing a little bit. Her face was opposite of what she expected. She didn't look happy; even though she managed to do her old move, ignite pass… "Let me see your hand." The girl obliged, mind still fleeting at her accomplishment. She can do the ignite pass! After than she can probably master the cyclone full-court pass—

The currently raven-haired girl glanced at her hand, and emitted a small "Oh."

Red and purple patches decorated her hand, and Riko-san sighed, and pulled her to the bench, where their bags resided. "I got the feeling this would happen. When you first tried the ignite pass when you were in middle school, did this happen too?" Katsuko nodded. "…but only a little bruising." She looked at her hand again, hissing softly as Riko rubbed her palm. "Not like this."

Riko nodded. "That's expected. When did you first try the ignite pass?"

"Last year of middle school." Katsuko answered, eyes tracing the patches of color the marred her pale skin. Riko nodded again, fishing out a cooling ointment and bandages, quieting down as she concentrated on patching up the raven-haired girl's hand. "Your old body was probably used to putting a steady amount of force to passing already when you first tried Ignite pass. But now, you've only started even dribbling the ball for a week. You could have done a lot worse to your whole arm if you tried the cyclone pass first, you know."

Both girls basked in silence, only the sound of the pitter patter of the rain and the heavy brushing of bushes outside ringing in their ears. Inwardly, Riko was analyzing Katsuko. The girl has been a bit happier when she said that they'll play basketball together—despite warnings that she wasn't really good at the sport—and so far, she had made progress with her foot work, now being able to do 1/2 the speed of her male counterpart when running. The only problem was that she liked to trip-even on flat surfaces—a problem that Riko did not know how to address.

"Coach."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think I will be ready by the time Winter Cup comes?" Riko glanced at Katsuko, who was levelling her with her blank, big, eyes. "Hopefully."

Silence.

That probably wasn't the best answer, but she didn't want to give the player false hope. She was sure that at this rate, Katsuko would master her male counterpart's style, but she wasn't sure if there would still be enough time to improve that style, which is a must if they want to be victorious in the Winter Cup.

That reminds her…

"Katsuko. You'll be going to enrol in Seirin next week, right? That's 5 days away and I haven't been able to ask about the details you gave to Papa. You have your uniform and the specific stuff you need, right?" The girl nodded, patting her knee with her uninjured hand.

"Kuroko Tamiko. Sixteen years old, Birthday: January 31st…" Riko blinked. "But Kuroko's…" The girl across from her smiled.

"Hai. It is as you think. But no one will suspect." Riko thought about that. Why wouldn't anyone know? Surely someone has—

"No one asked." Riko's head snapped up once more. _Is she reading my mind? _ "You're facial expressions tell what you're thinking." Katsuko murmured, taking the bandage from the brunette's hands and finishing it by herself. Riko thought to herself. The raven-haired girl really had thought about this through, hadn't she?

"So, tell me more about Kuroko Tamiko…."

* * *

"WAKE UP!" It seemed like the whole inn was bouncing up and down with the entire ruckus Riko was making, snapping the resting players from their slumber. Despite their costs being paid fully by Kuroko's connections—which she absolutely _did not know_ until yesterday night, but she did not want to overuse the generosity Kuroko's…_okaasan _has given.

Well not really given.

Kuroko's mother, Arisa Kuroko , was a well known fashion designer, and it's a wonder no one ever knew about it…well, it's not like any of them reads fashion magazines—Katsuko sort of _borrowed _money from the bank account her mother has made for her containing at least a hundred thousand yen—to pay for Seirin's living costs.

Her mother's occupation also explains why Kuroko seemed unbothered to seeing the body of a woman—it's like he was born a girl!—and wearing the clothes of one, underwear and all. Kuroko shared that he used to be a doll for his mother when he was still young and could pass for a girl,—_he could still pass for a girl, _Riko thought, but was afraid to annoy Katsuko_—_wearing dresses and petticoats and wigs. His mother also used to take the models she would use for her fashion shows at home for measuring and fitting and Kuroko would help his mother on hectic times.

Riko didn't know what to say to that, so she just shut up. She never knew Kuroko was rich. He always seemed so simple. How much don't they know about their freshman phantom, really? If Kuroko's mother was famous, she really was wondering if Kuroko's father was famous too, or if he has any siblings.

Anyway, back to present.

As she passed Kiyoshi on the massage chair, she felt his eyes on her back. Ignoring the awkward feeling, she pushed on, brushing the feeling away. After all, he, Hyuuga-kun and Izuki-kun have been trying to get her alone for the whole 2 weeks, to no avail. Nothing would feed their suspicions because they don't have sufficient information on what really happened to Kuroko that night. As if she would tell them anything.

_They weren't a threat._ That's what she liked to think.

She walked on the halls, yelling at each room she passed for the occupants to pack up, as they were leaving. It took a long time to rouse some, such as Koganei and Furihata, but at last, she reached the last player's room—Kagami-kun.

"ARF!" Riko jumped, turning to the corner where Katsuko emerged, holding a red leash that Nigou wore around his torso. The dog was barking excitedly, and it seemed like Kuroko was doing her best to keep the dog from plowing headfirst into the walls –which wasn't an easy feat using only one hand. "Sumimasen, Riko-san. Nigou probably wants to wake Kag—" Katsuko paused. "Taiga-san up…" Riko sweat dropped.

She would never understand the relationship between Kagami-kun and Nigou… "It's okay… Katsuko." She also noted the use of Taiga-san. Kagami seemed uncomfortable being called _Kagami-kun _by Katsuko, so the latter decided to change her way of addressing him as Taiga-san. There was barely any interaction between them, anyway, so the possibilities of Katsuko slipping would be low.

The door next to Riko opened, followed by yells of indignation. "GET THAT DOG AWAY FROM HERE!" Kagami yelled, hands put up in a defensive stance. Riko sighed. "At least you're up." Nigou barked, which sounded like an affirmation. Riko beamed at the dog. "Nigou is such a good dog! You were only trying to wake up lazy and mean Bakagami, right? Right? You're so cute!"

Veins popped on Kagami's forehead simultaneously as sparkles erupted in the vicinity as Riko continued to hold up and spin the husky round and round.

Round and round…

"Bakagami is very stupid and idiotic right? _Ne~"_

_ARF!_

_This dog really annoys me…_ Kagami raised a veined fist up, mouth twitching in annoyance. He gazed at the dog, who in turn gazed at him.

Wide blue eyes.

Kagami turned away from the sight.

Seeing Nigou brought someone to the forefront of his mind that despite his extreme annoyance with the dog, he was brought into a melancholy mood. It's been two weeks and three days… and it's probably his fault, pushing Kuroko away without explaining what he wanted—growing strong separately to be stronger together—that Kuroko was giving him space, just not what he wanted.

'AGH! STUPID BAKAGAMI!' He thought of hitting his head to the wall. Such stupidity…

Something black caught his eye, and it took a few moments for his eyes to focus on it. Black hair… dark blue eyes... Wait, it's a person?

"Domo." And like he was slammed by a truck, he realized that there was, _indeed, _a person beside him.

"Gah!"

Katsuko Teryou's facial expression didn't even change as the redhead struggled to calm his racing heart. Kagami felt a spark of familiarity, but ignored it for the moment.

"O-oi. How long have you been there?" Katsuko instantly opened her mouth, instinctively. "I've been here for a while now, Kagami-kun."

_I've been here for a while, Kagami-kun._

_I've been here for a while…_

_ Kagami-kun._

Kagami froze for a moment, glancing at the girl beside him. Katsuko froze too, realizing her mistake. It was too much like the normal conversation between Kuroko and Kagami… and she didn't call him Kagami-kun anymore.

"Ah! Coach!" A merry voice echoed down the hall, and all the three people looked at Kiyoshi, who was holding up a blue mobile. Riko breathed a sigh of relief, shoulders slumping at the breaking of slight tension in the air.

The look in Kagami's eyes… as if he suspected… her gaze drew back to the mobile in the tall center's grasp.

_That's Kuroko's!_

_" _Kuroko's mother called. She was saying something about coming home and expecting the 'two' of them to greet her..." Kiyoshi scratched the back of his head. "And…then… Ah! Then she got embarrassed when I said I wasn't Kuroko and I only borrowed his phone that she hung up on me. She's a nice lady. I like her." The three people in front of him sweatdropped, not exempting Katsuko, who was forcing another expression into her face, the brunette coach noted.

Said brunette coach promptly threw a shoe at the tallest man, shattering the awkward silence.

"Just give me the phone already so I can mail it back to Kuroko! What if his Okaasan calls again, IDIOT?" Kiyoshi grinned. "Hehe, okay!" He handed the phone, and glanced at Katsuko. "Hello, Teryou-san. Can I call you Katsuko-chan?"

Katsuko looked up at him and offered a small, tight grin. "Okay~ Katsuko-chan, you're leaving today, right?"

There was something off about his tone. Katsuko nodded. "Oh, it was nice meeting you, then. _I'm sure all your hard work in training paid off!" _ He offered cheery smile, and then patted her head. "Oh, will you be watching with us today?" Another nod. "Oh! Okay. I better go pack, then!" He left, as abruptly as he came.

"Watching what?" Kagami said, a little reluctant to admit he didn't know what the hell Kiyoshi was talking about.

"Today's the match between Touou and Kaijo." Riko replied mechanically, attaching the red leash back to Nigou. "Here. You take care of him now—"

"—EH?"

" –Katsuko and I will be packing. Tell everyone that they all need to be downstairs by 8 or else I will triple their training menus."

"—AH?! I haven't packed at all—DON'T LEAVE THIS DOG HERE!" Riko ignored the yells of the manly power forward—who was afraid of small, cute dogs—and turned back to their room, followed by her roommate, whose face slipped back to its expressionless mask. "Today's the last day you have to force yourself to show emotions, Katsuko."

"…Hai. I'm glad." Riko smiled. "Okay, let's get packing. I think the match later is going to be _very _suspenseful." It went unspoken, but they both knew that they both owe Kiyoshi one now. If he hadn't come, who knows what have happened. After all, he had his smart moments… and God knows how blank both of their minds were at that small period of time.

Katsuko knew that if he had just _asked _if she was, by any chance, Kuroko in disguise…

She would have said yes.

* * *

Kaijou held up more than Seirin did against Touou. Even with Aomine on the line-up since the start of the game, Touou Academy was only leading with a nine point difference. Riko bit her lip. Even so, if this continues, Kaijou still won't be able to catch up. They need to have another plan besides just letting Kise-kun score more than Aomine-kun. By the looks of it, even with the far distance, she could see that Kise was going to be very exhausted soon.

Katsuko stood up from her seat beside her once it was announced that a ten minute intermission would occur. "I will just go outside, Riko-san." She looked at the girl. Katsuko has been very quiet during the game too, which was different from the normal, comfortable, serene air around her. She was tense, and Riko could only guess why.

"Be back soon." The response she got was a curt nod. "Oi! Freshmen! Buy us drinks!" She heard Hyuuga holler out. She didn't feel like reprimanding him for using the 'captain card' to order the freshmen around.

"E-eh? We can't hold all the drinks!" It was Kagami.

"We'll come with them." Koganei said, Mitobe standing up beside him. Riko paid no attention to them, only gazing at the people on the court. Touo Academy… indeed, they were a strong team. During their first game, she had thought that they lacked teamwork, but now she wasn't so sure. Aside from somewhat sour relationship between Aomine and their blonde teammate…Wakamatsu, Touou seemed to have better teamwork than them. The foundation of their team was the individual strengths of each player, and with all of them working together for the same goal—to win, they were a deadly force. How could they win against this?

"Calm down, Coach. You're shaking again." Hyuuga whispered to her from behind and she jumped. "Don't _do that!" _

"Sorry. How are you feeling? I haven't seen you shake like that before… you need an outlet to calm down, right?" She rolled her eyes. She hadn't noticed she was shaking, either. "Hey…"

"Yes, Coach?"

"Can I slap you?"

* * *

Kise was outside, enjoying the fresh air. What he was planning to do, will it work? But he wanted to try. It's the least he can show Aominecchi that he had improved a lot. Their unfinished rivalry, this will be the day that he would finally win.

After all his waiting… at last… this moment has come, and yet... why was he hesitating? He already said he would stop admiring him.

_Thump. _"Ah." Eh? Kise looked to the right, where a girl had stumbled. He walked to her, involuntarily reaching out a hand. "Are you okay?" He dark blue eyes stared at him for a long time before finally allowing herself to reach out to his hand. He helped her up, and she dusted her pants, before looking up at him again, expression blank.

"Kise-kun." Kise blinked, flashing an uncertain smile. Was she a fan..? This wasn't exactly the time he should be entertaining… "You know me?"

"You are part of the Generation of Miracles." That wasn't what he expected. When people recognized him, it was usually because of him being a model. "O…Oh." He didn't know why, but he wanted to talk more to this girl. It was comfortable talking to her. She wasn't like other girls. "In this game…do you think I will win?" He asked tentatively, facing forward once again. The girl followed his gaze. It should've felt odd to talk so normally to a stranger, but the girl was different. Kise didn't really know why.

"I don't know. Are you talking about winning against Aomine-kun, or just with Kaijou winning against Touou? Those things might have the same outcome, but they are different from each other." Kise hung his head, chuckling a bit.

"I admit, I'm being selfish. It's probably the former, ssu."

Silence.

"You cannot know the outcome of any battle if you don't try your hardest. As long as you have not given up, the outcome of anything hasn't been decided." She simply said, resting both her palms on the stone in front of her. "You and your old teammate are the aces of your respective teams. For one to win against the other, their teams should also win against the other."

The raven haired girl turned to him, face still devoid of any emotion. _If Kurokocchi was here, he would probably connect well with this girl._

"So you mean I must do what I can for Kaijou to win." _Just like what Kurokocchi said. I must think of what I can do for the team. _ She nodded. "Basketball isn't a one man sport."

"You sound a lot like Kurokocchi." The girl blinked, looking a little bit surprised. Even though she's different from other girls, she also didn't know who Kuroko Tetsuya was. "He said to me before; always think about what you can do for the team."

For a frozen moment, the girl didn't say anything, and then she broke out into a serene smile. "…Yes."

Kise stared at her for a minute, speechless. "Oh well! I'll try my best-ssu! Cheer for me!" He turned, expecting an answer, which he didn't get. Instead the girl was completely silent, but her eyes were trained on him. It was a bit uncomfortable, unlike when Kurokocchi does that. Maybe it wasn't as terrifying if Akashicchi stares at him (absolutely frightening), but still, it made him uncomfortable.

"Eh…what?"

"I thought you would've said I would definitely win." Kise smirked, turning his back. "I intend to do that. But ever since middle school, I've played basketball against other teams, knowing I will win. Now I don't know what will happen."

He turned one last time at the girl, offering a smile. "And honestly? Basketball is much more fun this way."

And then he was gone.

Katsuko was left all alone, but she didn't mind. She never thought that Kise remembered what she told him in Teikou. After all those years… it was like he had forgotten.

There was still hope, after all.

* * *

"Katsuko, where have you been? The third quarter started 5 minutes ago!" Riko hissed as the raven haired girl sat down beside her. "Sumimasen."

"Coach, why does Hyuuga-kun have an imprint of a hand in his face?"

"Huh? I don't know." She smirked evilly, turning to Katsuko. "And you'll get the same treatment for making me wor—"

But Katsuko was already focused on the match and not listening to her, and Riko wanted to throw Nigou (who was now with Kiyoshi) at her face for not listening. "O-oi, coach, calm down. You're burning us with your fighting spirit." Hyuuga whispered to her, and she rolled her eyes, trying to calm down, which was easy as soon as she looked at the court. As Kagami-kun had guessed a while ago, Kise-kun was trying to copy Aomine-kun—Katsuko confirmed this with the subtle nod of her head—but Riko didn't know if it was going to work this late in the game.

In basketball, instant and easy comebacks don't happen. In the current score of 46 and 60 for Kaijou and Touou, respectively, if the point difference exceeds 15… the match would be over. And with Aomine carelessly throwing shots in every time Touou was in possession…

They watched as Kasamatsu forced a shot in. They watched as Kaijou did their best to not let the point gap widen, to give Kise more time. They watched as Kise changed—his stance becoming more carefree, lazy, even. Riko felt Katsuko and the rest hold their breaths at the showdown between the aces that was about to unfold.

Katsuko knew the moment Kise's form changed. He had done it. His data was complete. And when he had passed Aomine-kun, the ace of the Generation of Miracles… she felt pride in the player she had mentored… and jealousy.

He had done what Kuroko couldn't.

Could he fulfil the promise Kuroko made to Momoi?

Could he achieve what Kuroko had failed?

* * *

The stadium was filled with silence as the final seconds of the match ticked by. The audience, enraptured by the passionate players, watched as Kise attempted to block Aomine's dunk, failing in the end as the ace of the Generation of Miracles forced the dunk like Kise's hand wasn't there at all.

Everyone watched as Kise, who had fallen to the floor, not having enough energy to even get up. They watched as he helped by his captain. Everyone was fired up at Touou's win, shaken by the sheer talent of Aomine, and the undeniable power of the whole team.

But there was no denying that despite their loss, Kaijou was a respectable and admirable team.

Kise-kun amazed Katsuko. He really did.

He never gave up. Even when he had failed Kaijou's last chance. He played with everything he could. But in the end, their fate was like Seirin's.

"98 points against 110, the winner of this match is Touou Academy!"

"Thank you for the competition!"

And as Kaijou walked out of the court, everyone could not help but clap for them, for they have shown their worth. They were among the top eight of the whole nation. They have proven their strength.

Riko glanced to her left, where Katsuko sat, eyes training on Kasamatsu supporting a tired looking Kise. Everyone in Seirin was in silence, even as the teams began to depart, as well as the audience. She knew what was going on in their minds. _They're monsters. These are the guys we have to defeat this winter. We have to improve… close the huge gap between us… _She stood up.

"What in the world are you all doing, sitting here and brooding!? If you want to improve, go back and practice!"

After shooting down Kagami's suggestion of watching the rest of the matches (because there were still matches with the Generation of Miracles) and pounding some sense into him, they were set to return for the last week of school before the summer break. Even though they were given a week off for qualifying in the Winter Cup, they weren't immune to exams.

_ARF_! "O-oi!" Nigou, now pulling the red leash held by Kagami, went closer to Katsuko as they walked through the hallway. She went down and patted the husky. "_I'll see you soon, Nigou." _She whispered, trusting the noise of the oncoming crowd to hide her soft voice. Nigou barked back at her, and she ruffled his fur.

"You guys go ahead. I'll be sending Katsuko off." Riko –san instructed Hyuuga-kun, who nodded. "Nice meeting you, Teryou-san." He said to the pale girl, followed by the goodbye's of the other team members. Katsuko forced another smile to her face as she said her farewells.

It wasn't a final farewell, after all. The two girls waited until the players were out of sight. "Ready for another afternoon of doing nothing but training?" The brunette said to her.

"Hai, Coach." She blinked. "Ha… I have to get used to calling you Tamiko now, right?" She nodded, and the brunette sighed. "I sure hope I won't slip…"

"Why do_ always get lost, Murasakibara?!" _ All of a sudden, Katsuko—Riko was so going to refer to her as Katsuko until she removes that wig—turned around, staring at nothing. The crowds have dispersed. _What was she looking at? _

"Katsuko?"

"It's nothing… I just forgot to greet someone."

Who could that be? Riko tried to remember the last person she saw before the hallways were completely devoid of people besides her and Katsuko, but nothing comes to her mind. She was very curious, though.

"Wh—"

_Ring! Ring! Ring! _ Riko checked her pocket, but it wasn't her phone that was ringing. Kastuko checked the pocket of her jeans, pulling out a blue mobile, which was vibrating. "Hey—if you don't know who it is, don't answer it. It might be someone from the tea—"

"It's Okaasama." Riko stopped talking at once. _Go on, answer it. _She gestured with her hand, and Katsuko nodded. Putting the mobile to her left ear, she answered.

"Moshi moshi?" Riko had to cover her mouth to muffle her gasp. When Katsuko tries to lower her voice… it's almost the perfect imitation of Kuroko's…!

She waited a while for Katsuko to finish the call, but halfway through it, the girl's expression changed. Her eyes widened impossibly, and her unoccupied hand fell limp on her side. "…Hai. I will get there as soon as I can, Okaasama." She dropped the phone.

"_You are not alone…" _She whispered, as if she just remembered the phrase. It was like the phrase was speaking _through _her. If that was possible. Was it?

"Katsuko? What's wrong?" With her voice, the girl's eyes focused, and her expression turned blank once again. But it was obvious that something huge was bothering her.

"Sumimasen, Coach. I…I need to go."

Not waiting for a response, she turned and ran, ran the fastest she could, not giving a care whether she would trip or not. All she knew was that she had to get to _that _Hospital as soon as she can, getting another disguise on the way.

* * *

"_Moshi moshi?" _ Kuroko's voice responded to her, and she could almost feel her green eyes sting in relief. Thank goodness he was okay—

"Tetsuya! Please—please go here at once… I don't know what to do! Something…something terrible has happened to your brother and… and… and one of your friends!"

"_Okaasama?"_

_"_I'm so—sorry. I-I don't know what to do and the f-f-father of your friend is here and he's as shocked as I am and… please…please just go here… I can't look at him… at _them… _they're *hic* they just fainted out of nowhere—"

She lost it. She broke down into sobs and it hurt her that her son could hear her. "But—but you're okay, right? If something happened to you as well—I… I don't know what would have happened to me…A-and I'm sorry for bothering y-you when y-you're at practice...I-I just…"

"…_Hai. I will get there as soon as I can, Okaasama." _

She nodded frantically, even though her son couldn't see it. When she heard the click of her mobile, she put it back to her bag, and sat down at the nearest chair. Why was this happening? Why to the two of them? Even the friend of Tetsuya and…. she'd known him since Tetsuya and his brother's middle school… he was always a polite boy who helped her oldest son and looked out for Tetsuya. And she never knew… this… illness was possible. This was unheard of. Even the doctor said so.

But why the two of them?

Why Seijuro and Shintarou?

* * *

**PLEASE DON'T KILL ME FOR LEAVING A CLIFF HANGER RIGHT THERE! I PROMISE I WILL UPDATE AFTER I UPDATE THE NEXT STORY ON MY ROTATION! I LOVE YOU ALL! DON'T KILL ME! Ahahaha, well, so reviews, anyone? comments? **


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